Injury to abdominal wall vessels during laparoscopy in three horses.

This research discusses complications that arose from laparoscopic surgery on three horses, specifically injury to the epigastric vessels during the surgical procedures, which led to increased surgery time, hematoma formation, and obstruction of the surgical field due to hemorrhage.

Research Context and Goal

• The study focuses on laparoscopic surgeries carried out on three horses. The operations involved were bilateral cryptorchidectomy (removal of undescended testes), bilateral ovariectomy (removal of ovaries), and removal of electrode wires surgically implanted in the large colon.
• The primary objective is to highlight the complications that can arise in such kinds of veterinary surgery due to the high vascularity of the abdominal wall, particularly the ventral aspect.

Injury of Epigastric Vessels

• During the placement of instrument portals for the laparoscopic procedures, the epigastric vessels of the horses were accidentally damaged. Epigastric vessels are blood vessels supplying the abdominal wall – their injury can lead to significant bleeding.
• This injury led to a notable increase in surgery time as the veterinary surgeons had to manage the resulting complications before proceeding with the scheduled operations.

Resulting Complications

• One of the primary complications due to the injury of the epigastric vessels was excessive bleeding or hemorrhage, causing the formation of hematoma (a solid swelling of clotted blood) and hemoperitoneum (the presence of blood in the peritoneal cavity).
• The hemorrhage also interfered with the surgical procedures, as it obscured the field, making it harder for the surgeons to see and properly operate on the concerned tissues.

Hemostasis Measures

• Hemostasis (stopping the bleeding) was achieved either through direct pressure on the bleeding vessel or by ligating (tying off) the injured vessel to stop the blood flow.
• These interventions were necessary to control the resulting complications and to allow the veterinarians to proceed with the primary operations.

Conclusion and Implications

• The study concludes that laparoscopic surgeries on horses can face significant risks due to the high vascularity of the ventral aspect of the abdominal wall – a consideration that requires careful planning and skill in such operations.
• This implies the need for veterinary surgeons to be aware of this potential complication and to exercise caution during portal placement for laparoscopic procedures in horses, to minimize the risk of injury to the abdominal wall vessels.